


Dive In Deeper

by carnivorousBelvedere



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/F, Karkat Goes on Vacation, Karkat Needs A Vacation From His Vacation, M/M, Scuba Diving, Underwater Sex, background rosemary - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2019-05-21 09:05:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14912486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carnivorousBelvedere/pseuds/carnivorousBelvedere
Summary: Karkat is going on vacation during his birthday with Rose and Kanaya. They gift him a scuba certification class.The catch?Dave is taking it with him.Happy birthday, Karkat!





	1. Day 1: Arrival

GA: Hello Karkat  


GA: It’s June  


CG: YES KANAYA. IT IS INDEED JUNE. THANK YOU FOR POINTING OUT THE OBVIOUS.  


GA: Our Trip Is Coming Up Are You Excited  


CG: YES THE ONE WHERE YOU AND ROSE AND DAVE AND I ALL COME TOGETHER AND RIDE THIS COMICAL FOUR WHEELED APPARATUS IN AN AWKWARD HUMID BLAZE DOWN THE CAYMAN COASTLINE? IM NOT SURE I WOULD SAY EXCITED  


GA: Well Im Excited And So Is Rose  


GA: Since Its Your Birthday We Wanted To Do Something Special  


CG: OH NO I ALREADY DONT LIKE WHERE THIS IS GOING  


GA: We Bought You An Open Water Scuba Certification Class  


CG: WHATS THE CATCH  


GA: Dave Wanted To Get His As Well  


CG: WOW KANAYA THANK YOU FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE GENEROSITY  


GA: It Was Roses Treat Her Book Sales Are Going Quite Well So You Should Thank Her Not Me  


CG: I REALLY CANT ACCEPT THIS GIFT  


CG: IS IT TOO LATE TO CANCEL MY PLANE TICKET  


GA: Oh I See You Are Being Sarcastic  


CG: YES KANAYA IM BEING SARCASTIC  


CG: HOW COULD YOU MAKE ME SUFFER THROUGH ANY EXTRA TIME SPENT WITH DAVE STRIDER  


GA: I Think Youll Manage  


GA: You’re Welcome In Advance  


GA: Bye Karkat  


GA: See You Sunday For Our Flight

Karkat walks through the automatic doors of Houston Airport, the rush of air conditioning separating him from the sweltering heat of summer. Dragging behind him is a single suitcase with a backpack draped over his shoulder.  
He’s exactly two hours and thirty minutes early for the flight just as Rose asked, and he triple checked for his passport before getting in his Uber. 

He eyes the area of automatic check-in kiosks of United before he sees them. Rose is standing shoulder to shoulder with Kanaya. Dave stands in front of them, his arms crossed and his back facing him. Kanaya spots him and waves grandly as Rose perks up too. 

Dave turns around, and he sees a giant grin spread out on his face under those consistent aviator shades. 

It’s times like this when Karkat wonders how exactly he got to this moment in life. 

The answer is simple. Kanaya, his best friend from undergrad and now somehow successful fashion designer based out of Houston, met and fell in love with Rose, a writer. Like a good friend, she never ignored Karkat, instead he became a steadfast third wheel of their relationship. Obviously, he and Rose became good friends, considering the array of interests they also shared. In fact, she also made sure he brought the same book she was reading so that they could sit side by side and discuss on the beach at the resort location. 

Unfortunately, this also meant Karkat had to spend time with her fratbro sunglasses-sporting sideburn-haired asshole of a brother, who also happened to be six feet of muscular bulk that enjoyed nothing other than getting under his skin.  
He’s wearing a three-quarter sleeve baseball style shirt over a pair of predictably pastel pink shorts with boat shoes. Karkat wants to roll his eyes at his fratty attire. He probably packed Birkenstocks too. 

Karkat grits his teeth and settles the bag on his shoulder before making his way over to the three circled around the automatic kiosk. 

“Hey look it’s the man of the hour, just in time. We were gonna leave you here to go through security by yourself,” Dave says, failing to produce any charm right off the bat. 

“Oh that’s not true, we were going to wait for you Karkat,” Kanaya cuts in. She hands him the baggage tag which he goes to wrap around the suitcase handle. The boarding pass she printed goes into his back pocket. 

“I can’t wait to finally go to the Caribbean,” Kanaya says to him in security. “I’m pretty sure if Rose doesn’t see an octopus she’s going to request a refund of the whole trip.”

“Yeah. I’m excited,” Karkat deadpans, staring at the blonde, tall, pale boy in front of him. *I hope he burns this week.* he thinks, a bit vicious. 

It’s not that Karkat is small. He’s almost 5’9”. And it’s not that he’s scrawny… he’s just not muscular either. At least with his dark skin he’s not likely to burn on the seaside. Or so he hopes. 

Dave turns and walks backward in the line to look at Karkat. “Dude, we’re going scuba diving, gonna get real up close and personal with the fishes, I bet they’ll be all up on you Karkatty.”

Karkat snorts. “Yes, only one of the most expensive hobbies available on earth next to skiing. I have no clue when I’ll ever get to go again, because god forbid anyone actually dive on the polluted Texan shoreline.” 

“Oh come on I we all know you’re raking it in like Steve Jobs mowing his lawn on Saturday morning from your coding gig,” Dave replies. 

Kanaya cut in before he could say something rude back. “It’s a useful skill to have! You never know when the opportunity will arise. Plus I know you’ve always wanted to.” 

Karkat glances at her and smiles as he notes she’s holding hands with Rose, who appears to be still finalizing her vacation on her phone with one hand. They are just too cute. He adores them, and he’s excited to spend time underwater with his favorite couple. 

He wants to say thanks. It really was a generous birthday gift. Extremely generous. Except every time he wants to say thanks they look at him with eyes that know he’s been paired up with Dave for the duration of the trip and any admission of gratitude gets stuck like flies to sap. 

He only drunkenly admitted to them that he thought Dave was hot once! Only once! And the hellish women dug their claws into that morsel of knowledge and refused to let go. But Dave was just so frustrating and flirty and annoying and there was no way in hell Karkat liked him or that Dave liked him back. Dave was just too into himself and he was like that everyone. 

Eventually they get through security and settle in to a row of seats in the waiting area of their gate. Predictably, Dave sits across from him and bounces his knee. Karkat goes to take his book out but Dave stops him. 

“What’s the deal with sharks out there?” Dave asks, directed at him, as if Karkat would know anything about that. 

“Honestly I have no fucking clue. I thought the Caymans were known for stingrays?” He glances at Kanaya and Rose. 

“Stingray City is the most famous dive and snorkel site in Grand Cayman,” Rose responds, glancing up from her phone. “The story goes that fisherman would clean their catch on the shallow sandbar and stingrays would come to feed on what was thrown overboard. Eventually they grew a large, Pavlovian fleet of Southern rays, which became essentially trained to come when boats appeared.” 

“Wait, what? Don’t people get stung?” Karkat questions, only slightly horrified. 

“Only if you step on them,” Rose smiled. 

Karkat decides it’s a good time to read and dives into his book, hopeful to shut up anything Dave says. Thankfully, Dave seems absorbed in a handheld video game console. 

Their flight doesn’t board for another hour, to kill time they eventually go off on their own to individually get some food.

“Oh shit man, what’s your seat number?” Dave asks as their boarding group is called and they stand up from their seats. 

Karkat pauses and pulls out his seat ticket. “18F,” he replies. 

Dave grins. “Oh hey there seat buddy, you’re lookin’ at Mister 18E.” 

Karkat wants to laugh, imaging his muscular figure squeezing into the middle seat. The thought immediately makes him flush. Of course Rose bought his ticket and placed him next to Dave. Of course she did. 

Rose and Kanaya are in the same row, but seated in 18A and B respectively. 

Karkat hopes and prays he doesn’t fall asleep.

When they get to their seats Dave does an excited little dance. “Oh my god Caaaabo,” he says in a mocking sorority girl voice. 

“You realize we’re not going there, right? If you wanted to go party you should have booked your own flight.” 

“And pass up diving with you? No chance,” Dave grins. 

Karkat reads through takeoff and rolls his eyes when Dave predictably orders a double Bloody Mary and promptly knocks out. 

Halfway into the flight Karkat falls asleep, only to be jolted awake by some mild turbulence. 

Oh no. He’d been sleeping on Dave’s shoulder. He thought he’d fallen asleep on the window side, but his head must have moved at some point. However he can’t actually move, because Dave is fast asleep with his head on top of Karkat’s. 

Karkat feels warmth rush his cheeks and neck.  
Dave’s shoulder is *comfortable*. Karkat is suddenly self-conscious of if his head that Dave is stacked on is comfy as well. 

He wants to look over at Rose and Kanaya, wondering if they’d noticed and taken a photo. 

Heart suddenly racing, Karkat can’t go back to sleep. 

 

The sun is setting by the time they check into the beachfront resort hotel. Rose warns them that they need to be up early at 8 am for their first dive class on Monday, and sends them off with their room keys. 

He’s sharing with Dave. Of course he has to share with Dave. Oh god, he let Rose and Kanaya book the room. 

There’s only one bed. 

He throws his luggage into a corner of the room and quickly changes into a swimsuit. 

“Hey man where you going?” Dave asks futilely as Karkat shuts the door in his face. He feels a bit bad at first but shakes it off. 

Karkat pads through the hotel down to the lobby that leads out to the beach. He passes through the pool area, noting the tiki pool bar, and continues on to where it meets the beach. He yanks off his sandals and sighs contentedly as his feet reach the sand. It’s white and pristine, still warm from a long day of sunlight. He leaves his sandals next to a beach chair and pulls off his shirt. It’s a warm tropical night, he doesn’t need it. 

He hesitates when he reaches the edge of the water. It’s still and calm, harmless. It laps gently on the clean sand. With a deep breath, he steps in ankle deep and exhales with shock when he realizes how warm the water is. It’s like bathwater it’s so warm. He wades in deeper, down to his knees now. The moonlight bathes him as he stands there in the warm ocean, looking out over the star studded sky. The tension that he’d been holding went out of him. Out here in the barely-there breeze brushing the palm trees he couldn’t keep it in anymore. He doesn’t really know why he’s stressed out but a small voice inside him says that it’s Dave. Thinking about sharing a bed with him causes waves of warmth run through him and he squeezes his eyes to try and make it go away. 

No one comes by and he stands there for what feels like hours. He notes the long dock out to the scuba shack and boats to his right, where he’ll be starting his class with everyone tomorrow. 

When he gets back to his room he washes the airport and little ocean dip off of him in the shower. 

Dave is on the balcony, probably absorbed in some music on his laptop. When Karkat gets out of the shower he’s sitting on the bed. 

Karkat steels himself and yanks the covers off of his assumed side, slipping in. 

“Where’d you go?” Dave asks.

“The beach,” Karkat grumbles back. 

“You’re on vacation dude, try to chill,” Dave says, quieter. 

“Yeah well it’s hard to do when you’re around,” Karkat responds and immediately flushes. That absolutely came out differently than he intended. 

“Could have come with you.” 

Karkat glances at him. “I wanted to be alone,” he says even quieter. What he doesn’t say is, _I needed to get away from you._

Somehow, he’s not sure he believes that.


	2. Day 2: Sex On The Beach

“Hello, my name is Eridan Ampora and I will be your instructor for this open water class. A few things to note about my experience, I’ve been diving since before I could legally do so, I’m a scuba Divemaster, also trained in both tech and nitrox dives,” the instructor starts off and prattles off several more accolades of training. 

Karkat has his open water book flipped open to the first chapter. Dave is sitting next to him in the class and leans over with a pen. 

‘This guy is a total tool,’ he writes on Karkats book. 

Karkat smirks and responds under it, ‘He’s worse than you which is saying something.’

Dave responds with a poorly drawn smiley face and a heart followed by an expected, ‘You know you love it.’

Karkat rolls his eyes and goes back to paying attention. 

The first class flies by, Dave and Karkat continuing to exchange notes about how annoying their instructor is the entire time. 

“Alright, some review. Dave, for an open water diver, what is the max depth diving limit?”

Caught off guard while doodling a dick in Karkats book, Dave answers, “69 feet.” 

Karkat actually barks a laugh as the instructor sighs, frustrated at Dave and at Karkat’s lack of attention. 

“No, it’s 60 feet. We will get to this on the next chapter, but do you know what happens when divers don’t pay attention and miss their decompression limit, Mr. Strider?”

“Nope.”

“Your body will fizz like a soda,” Ampora chastises. “So pay attention, it might save your life.”

It doesn’t take long for Dave to go back to doodling in Karkats book again. 

After a long three hour class of five basics and science, they break for lunch. The four of them eat burgers by the pool bar. 

They throw French fries at the local birds and even an iguana that comes by. It gets very close to their table, sending Rose and Kanaya into a fit of giggles as it starts trying to climb up Dave’s chair for food and making him freak out. 

After the affair is over Dave smiles sheepishly at Karkat, flustering him. 

When they’re done they head over to the pool, where Eridan takes them through the step by step process of setting up a scuba tank with a buoyancy device, helping them calculate their weight. 

“You’re all lucky, the water is warm enough to not need wetsuits,” Ampora tells them as they set up the hoses and test the regulators. 

They slip into the weighted vest and tank setup and pull on the masks. Since they’re just in the pool they aren’t using flippers yet. 

“Alright, we’re going to run through the buddy check now,” Ampora directs them. 

Dave hoists himself up even with the heavy vest and Karkat follows suit determinedly. 

“Face your buddy,” the instructor commands.

Dave turns to Karkat and cocks an eyebrow at him through the mask. Karkat feels that same warmth again, unused to seeing Dave’s bare eyes. 

They run through all the important steps: mask, air, working mouthpiece, BCD inflating.

The first time Karkat takes a breath from the mouthpiece Dave laughs, “Holy shit nobody warned me we were all gonna sound like Darth Vader up in here.” 

Karkat pulls it out so he can speak. “This is where the Darth Vader sound came from do you live under a rock.”

“Oh excuse me, let me just put that piece of knowledge up there with my other pieces of knowledge labeled ‘shit most people don’t know.’ Thanks, that’s now chilling with what day the summer solstice is and what gases cause the most explosive reactions.” 

“You know what’s going to be nice about being underwater?” Karkat snaps. “The fact that I won’t be able to hear you talk!” 

“Oh, don’t you worry Karkat. We’re *buddies*. I’m gonna make sure anything you need to hear gets heard loud and clear. I don’t care if I need to draw in the sand or borrow a squid. You will know.”

Eridan has to clap his hands to snap them back to the class. 

Karkat is apprehensive the first time he sinks under the pool water surface and takes a breath with the regulator. The air flows into his lungs with slight resistance from the regulator and the subtle click of the diaphragm is actually a comforting noise. 

By the end of the two hours they’ve run through buoyancy checks, mask clearing, and equalizing. 

The class ends with the required ten minute water tread. 

After about five minutes in, Dave floats past Karkat who is trying to paddle without looking strained. 

“How you holdin’ up?”

“I’m fine, Strider. Frankly shocked you haven’t sunk yet with all your bulk.” 

Dave laughs. “Are you trying to say something? Not sure if you’re calling me fat or ripped you’re gonna have to specify.”

Karkat splutters and sinks under the water for a second as he stops moving. He floats back up to the surface, now hoping his likely red face is mistaken for exertion. 

Since their plans for Karkat’s actual birthday the next day involve visiting the newly built city center and seeing a movie, they elect to stay in and enjoy the resort the rest of the night. 

Karkat’s sitting calf deep in the jacuzzi over his phone tethered to the resort wifi when a body sits down beside him and places a pink beverage into his field of view.  
Karkat follows the arm to find himself face to face with Dave. 

“Almost happy birthday,” he says, his face splitting into a grin. 

“Why do I have the feeling the name of this drink starts ‘sex’ and ends with something that rhymes with ‘bleach?’” 

“Guilty as charged. Hey man, the fruity drinks are the best don’t hate.” Dave nudges the frosty drink to Karkat’s hand again, so he gives in and takes it. “In my defense, Sex on the Beach is the only true island drink.”

“Oh yes. You absolutely ordered this for the peach schnapps and ambiance,” Karkat sighs. “And if you’re asking, the answer is no.”

“Hey man don’t jump the gun here, you gotta buy a guy dinner first.”

Karkat rolls his eyes. Dave slides down into the heated water and folds his arms on the edge of the tub, placing his head in them and looking up at him. Dave’s elbow is just barely nudging his leg. 

“So. Besides the three hour class bullshit. I swear that class could have been an hour less if he just stopped talking about himself. Like when we’re just about to get to something important and he tangents to that one time he saw a whale shark. ”

“Dude, what the fuck are you saying.”

“Right, sorry. Did you have fun?”

Karkat takes a sip. It’s good, a little too sweet. It tastes exactly like what he’d expect a tiki pool bar beverage to taste like. “Today? Yeah, actually. Kind of just want to actually get out there though.” He motions vaguely in the direction of the beach. The more he thinks about it, he only survived the classroom portion because Dave was so entertaining. Why does Dave have to be so stupidly charming sometimes? Fewer than sometimes, Karkat tries to tell himself. 

“Yeah, same. I’m like, kind of claustrophobic though? I think one night we’re planning to go during sunset and I’m just, not ready. For it to be dark out there.”

It becomes strangely quiet as Karkat has no clue how to follow up that statement. He breaks the silence to change the subject of the conversation. He realizes they aren’t really having a conversation. 

“What day is the summer solstice?” he asks. 

Dave tips his head to the side. “Uh, what?”

Karkat rolls his head over to look at Dave, eyes covered again by shades. “You said something about what day the summer solstice is. I’m asking you what day it is.”

“Oh. It’s June 21st. I learned the hard way because Rose was once like, everyone knows what day the summer solstice is. And I had to be like, that is absolutely not common knowledge because I don’t know that.” 

“Wow, Dave Strider, admitting fault? Are we in the right universe?”

Dave laughs and flips around, resting his head on the back of the tub now. Karkat watches him out of the corner of his eye. 

“You want to know a secret?” Dave says suddenly. 

Karkat tenses. “Yeah, sure.”

“You can’t like, make a big deal out of it though. Promise me dude. It’s pretty lowkey. Like I was sworn to secrecy here.”

Now Karkat’s invested. “We’re on a fucking island who is there to tell.”

“Kanaya,” Dave deadpans.

There is a drift and Karkat catches it immediately. “Wait. Oh my god. Are you serious?”

“Oh yeah. Thursday.”

Karkat almost starts hyperventilating. “No fucking way.” 

“Okay, don’t tell me you totally didn’t see this coming.” 

“Hmmm no okay. The thought did cross my mind. But,” he starts but finds himself at a loss for words. 

“It’s the whole reason Rose booked this trip. Didn’t you think it was bit out of the norm?”

“Yeah I can’t say I’d have bagged Rose for this...” he’s still trying not to freak out.

“Well, on the bright side, it means you and I get the whole day together.” 

Karkat’s eyes lock on to the back of Dave’s head and he glares. “Can you please stop doing that?”

“Doing what?”

Anything Karkat is about to say is interrupted as Rose and Kanaya drift pass. “What are you boys up to?” Rose asks, eying the drinks in their hands. 

“Nothing,” they both answer in unison, the last topic of conversation still very fresh. Karkat realizes it’s going to be very hard to not tell Kanaya and he’s going to have to tread carefully the rest of the week. Stupid Strider. 

Karkat actually pulls himself to his feet, suddenly anxious. “Uh, I’m gonna turn in. Thanks, Dave.” He motions the drink in his direction and Dave nods from the water. 

“For sure. See you back in the room.”


	3. Day 3: Just Another Tuesday

Karkat wakes up to Dave playing some remix of “Happy Birthday” that he’d rather not hear at that hour of the morning while on vacation. 

Rose and Kanaya wish him happy birthday over breakfast. Class goes about the same as it did yesterday: The instructor drones on. Dave writes shit in Karkat’s book. Karkat calls Dave colorful things in his. 

The wet part of class actually takes place in the ocean. They wade out with inflated BCDs and put on fins before descending into an easy ten feet of water, sitting on their knees in a patch of sand. 

Here’s where it gets hard. The instructor warned them they would be doing mask clears and rebreather freeflow recovery earlier. Somehow it didn’t seem that bad in pool. 

But now Karkat’s mask is floating somewhere in front of his face and his eyes are full of saltwater and his regulator has been forced to freeflow and everything burns and the first claws of panic are starting to prick. Bubbles stream out of the mouthpiece and up to the surface, losing valuable pounds of air from the tank. He starts to scramble but he feels a hand on his bare left arm beside him, easing him. 

He doesn’t breath in, but with his eyes closed he swoops his arm forward and chases down to the regulator and shoves it in his mouth, taking a deep breath to reset the pressure gradient. 

When he manages to take a few more blind breaths he reaches forward to the sand in front of him. He opens his eyes, just barely, to make out where his mask is hovering. He grabs the back of it and manages to settle it back on his face, tipping the mask up and breathing out to clear the water out.

When it’s done, he blinks water out of his eyes and the rest of his group comes back into focus, with the instructor settled knees in the sand a few feet away from him. He realizes the same comforting hand is still on his arm.

He looks to his left to see Dave, whose face is filled with concern. 

If he could speak to him, he would say something telling Dave not to gloat since he’d just passed that part of the test with flying colors. 

Dave still hasn’t pulled his arm away. The skin on skin underwater is a different but pleasant sensation.

He reaches up with his other arm to flash the ‘ok’ symbol underwater, a silent question to Karkat. 

Karkat responds with the same ‘ok’ symbol, bewildered. Only then does Dave pull away. 

Karkat’s left to stare confusedly out into the glass-clear water as the instructor moves on to test Kanaya and Rose. 

He watches a small needlefish tool around on the surface. When he looks back at Dave he’s staring at him. He hurries to look anywhere else. 

Incredible, humiliating start to his birthday so far. He wasn’t expecting to feel so out-of-control without his voice but he should have seen it coming. Oh, whatever. He shouldn’t care what Dave thinks. He doesn’t. He doesn’t care what Dave thinks. 

When they breach the surface again Dave shoves his mask over his head and inflates the BCD. Karkat starts swimming for the beach but Dave kicks forward to follow him. 

“Hey, you okay?” Dave calls to him. 

The wind and voices are suddenly too loud after becoming used to the silence under the surface. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t rub it in,” Karkat growls back as they finally get to water he can stand in so he can pull off the fins. 

“Kinda had me worried for a sec, thought you were gonna die or choke or something.”

“What part of don’t rub it in do you not understand, asshole?” 

That gives Dave pause, who huffs out a sigh of indeterminate frustration or exertion. “Okay, that was so not what I was intending.” 

Karkat is flushing deeply, a strange contrast to the layer of wet covering his entire body. He throws himself out of the water, shoving up over the sand with the weighted vest and tank, which now feels even heavier that it’s soaked. 

He’s still got one more dive, out in open water, to go through with Dave today. He can make it. 

\---

They have to step off the edge of the dock for this dive. No easy sandy entry this time. 

Karkat signals that he’s okay and swims out of the way for Dave to jump in. He floats over to him and winks at him before they descend together, landing in another sandy patch fifteen feet deep this time. 

When they’re finally all underwater with determined neutral buoyancy Eridan leads the group out to where the reef shelf is. 

The rocks and corals suddenly dive down vertically into darkness. Karkat can’t even make out where it ends. By now they’re about forty-five feet deep and fish are out in force. 

He can’t even begin to identify half of them. Dave makes a point to swim side by side with him and now Karkat can’t tell him to go away because he literally can’t speak. He begrudgingly remembers that they’re supposed to swim together because they’re *buddies* as Dave had been constantly reminding him this trip.

He swims over coral fans with strange, curled up brittle-looking starfish. Eridan stops to point out small pink sea snails in a barrel sponge. 

Rose and Kanaya follow a little slower behind them. When he turns around, Karkat can make out Rose’s wide, curious eyes soaking in the reef. 

After regrouping and head back for the dock, something moves in a sandy patch. Surprised, Dave grabs Karkat’s hand and goes still, holding his breath as no bubbles are leaving his regulator for the surface. Karkat laughs and waves his hand over the sandy patch again, and a small ray shuffles off the sand, revealing starkly bright blue spots and darting away. 

A laugh bubbles out of Karkat but Dave is still holding his hand. Karkat feels that strange warmth building again, even in the warm water.

Dave lets go and kicks away, and Karkat looks at him to see a small smile curling and amused eyes. Karkat averts his eyes, having to remind himself to breathe as they make their way to shallower water. 

When they surface Karkat can’t help himself. “Nice ray, huh?”

“Thank you for being there in my time of need,” Dave throws back with a grin. Like he knows. 

Karkat can’t deal with this. 

\---

When they walk into the shoreline city center later it’s somehow still light out. Karkat still feels a little bit waterlogged and throws on a hoodie because even if the water was warm it was still leeching heat out of him. 

Rose and Kanaya walk side by side in front of them on the way to the restaurant, leaving Dave to walk next to Karkat with his hands in his pockets, still wearing that small content smile from earlier. 

“What?” Karkat finally asks him when they get to the restaurant. 

Dave grins harder. “Nothing!”

“Your face doesn’t look like nothing,” Karkat observes at Rose checks in for the reservation. This place was probably the fanciest restaurant on the island. 

When they toast to Karkat’s birthday over dinner, he struggles to not toast them back over their future engagement and actually chokes on his drink. 

After dinner is over and they’re waiting for the movie to begin, Rose and Kanaya excuse themselves to walk down the shoreline. Dave similarly disappears and Karkat tries not to mind. He busies himself by watching the setting sun and birds flapping overhead. 

“Gotcha something.”

Karkat turns to find Dave with two handfuls of ice cream cones. His eyes flash to Dave’s face. He’s still smiling like earlier. 

He reaches one out to Karkat, obviously motioning for him to take it. “Uh, happy birthday.” 

Karkat takes it from him and their fingers brush together, sending static waves back through him. In the same breath he grumbles, “You’re doing it again. Can you please stop?”

“Stop what?” Dave asks, as if he doesn’t know. 

Karkat sucks in a breath. It’s hard to say it. “This whole flirty, being too nice to me thing?” 

“Why would I do that?” A little bit of that loose grin slides off his face like snow in a landslide. 

“Because it’s confusing!” Karkat finally snaps at him. “I get it, this whole flirty bit is your thing! But I can’t. I can’t deal with it. I get it, some people probably appreciate that attention but just so you know I don’t.” It’s not fair that someone so attractive would say or do things like that to Karkat when they clearly aren’t and shouldn’t be into them. And he’s finally admitting that bit aloud. There’s nothing there between him, he’s just getting caught up in the flirty, aggravating nonsense of an attractive guy. Someone he let get under his skin over and over again and then stay there. 

Dave is fully frowning now and his free hand goes to rub at the back as his neck. He looks suddenly more uncomfortable than Karkat has ever seen him and he wants to eat his words because of it. 

“Listen man, I don’t know how this came across or what the deal is but uh, shit, how do I put this. You’re the only person I do that with?”

Karkat stares at him, the words not really penetrating. 

Dave bites his lip and actually looks nervous. “Okay like if you’re not into it it’s fine I just keep like throwing you this bone and you’re like that dog that usually plays fetch but this time you just watch the bone and wag your tail and bark but you don’t do anything and I’m stuck there running to get it like a dumbass and then throwing it again hoping you’ll catch it or something.”

Karkat keeps staring, his eyes marginally wider now. 

“It’s like I’m Taylor Swift on the bleachers watching you tear up the football field while your shitty cheerleader girlfriend does absolutely zero gymnastics on the sidelines and just sort of waves her pom poms around, and I don’t know who the cheerleader is in this situation, it’s probably Rose and she’s actively rooting for my demise, and I’m just sitting there on these cold ass bleachers in this godawful marching band uniform holding my clarinet all wrong, like have I ever even seen a clarinet before? I guess not, and I’m just singing out into the stadium like a loser and there’s no way you’re gonna look up at me from the football field because a) you’re probably covered in a thousand sweaty linebackers all jonesing for the pigskin or to slap your ass or whatever the fuck and b) oh god why would you, why do I even think I have a chance?”

The ice cream in Karkat’s hand plunges in to the ground and both of their eyes follow it. 

“Oh, fuck, I’m sorry, I’ll get you another one,” Dave says and turns away before he can begin to form words. 

He doesn’t know what to say. He doesn’t even know what just happened or what Dave was trying to say really. Was Dave trying to say…? No. There’s no way. Maybe? How was he supposed to determine anything out of the massive pile of crap that just came out of his mouth?

By the time Karkat is able to breathe normally again Kanaya and Rose have returned again. They both look so relaxed and happy and for a second Karkat envies them. 

Dave hands him the new cone, still frowning, but he doesn’t say anything, a distinct difference from his usual disposition. 

They walk towards the movie theater and Karkat breaks down what Dave said in his head, bit by bit. 

It’s not until they’re sitting and watching a movie together and Karkat is unable to concentrate on anything but the couple of inches separating his leg from Dave’s that he lets himself think for a short second that he likes Dave and Dave likes him back. 

 

When they get back to the resort Dave makes himself scarce. Karkat goes down to the beachfront but is surprised when he finds Dave wading in the water out there, just like Karkat had been the other night. 

His heart stops and he’s about to turn around and go back when he pauses. It doesn’t matter anyways because Dave turns around at the shoreline and sees him, going completely still. Karkat can’t see him as well, in the moonlight behind him he’s just a bulky silhouette. But it throws soft but strong light down on Karkat’s face, showing him clearly. 

Like stepping through a waterfall, Karkat breaks the standoff and makes his way down the sand to where Dave is standing. 

“Hey,” Karkat says quietly. Dave nods at him and looks back to the ocean, wading in a few steps deeper so it’s nearly at his knees now. 

“Alright. I get it if you’re not interested but if that’s the case can you please leave me alone for a few so I can kind of start to get over this. Sorry to be such a downer on your day of birth.” 

Karkat is taken aback at the depth of hurt in Dave’s voice. He can’t really believe for one second that this guy finds him attractive. He could just do way better than Karkat.

But he’d never seen him so dejected before. He wants to wipe that saddened look off his face. He wants that cocky, flirty bastard back. “Listen I uh, I didn’t really have the chance to say thanks.” The water laps at his calves as he steps closer to Dave. 

He glances back to look at him. “Say thanks for what?”

Karkat savors the surprised breath Dave releases at how close they are now. “For the ice cream.” He’s testing the waters now, in more ways than one. 

He hesitates before taking ahold of his wrist and gently pulling Dave. 

The man, dumbstruck, follows as Karkat pulls at his arm to fully face him. 

There’s a hopeful look on his face and he latches onto it. 

“And the Sex on the Beach. Thanks,” he says, and doesn’t give himself a moment to regret his likely prophetic words as he pulls Dave down to kiss him. 

He holds still against him and Karkat starts to lose his cool but then Dave just melts against him, turning his face to the side to kiss him at a better angle. His large arms go around Karkat and he finds himself locked against him. 

He finally lets his hands wander over the taller man’s body and begins to really lose his cool as he starts to think about how hot Dave is because it’s hard to ignore that fact when his hands are actively roaming his muscles. 

After not long enough he pulls away and Dave is grinning in the soft light like he’s never seen before. Karkat leans forward to touch his head to that cut jawline. 

“So let me get this straight,” Karkat murmurs. “You think I’m attractive?”

“Ever since the first day we met.”

“But you’re… you’re you.”

“Have you seen yourself?” 

Karkat side steps that statement. “You have a shit way of showing your interest. Do you have any idea how obnoxious you are?”

Dave kisses his cheek as Karkat sustains another crash of warmth. “I knew you couldn’t stay away.”

“You’re so into yourself.” 

“You like it. At least I’m up front about being a vain asshole.” 

“I’m not answering that. You awful, awful somehow sweet bastard. I just… I don’t know. Why me?” 

“Fuck, listen, I don’t know. I just, every time you ever got mad or red in the face I just. Fuck. I uh. I just wanted to see you like that. Under me.” At this point his voice has gone a deep husky and he’s resting his forehead on Karkats shoulder, still folded over him. “And then it got worse. I guess you could say I couldn’t stay away.” 

The waves of warmth and tense feeling in his stomach melts away to something in his groin. He makes a soft noise as Dave turns his head to softly bite at Karkats neck and whisper at him. “I’ve wanted to do this for so long.” 

Karkat pulls him up to kiss him. 

Their embrace grows more heated out there in moonlight, standing in the water with the bioluminescent plankton lighting up randomly like little bursting stars. 

At some point it’s no longer his birthday and he’s straddling Dave in the jacuzzi, both of them making a mess of each other’s hair as they grind desperately on each other. 

Security has to kick them out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mind the rating for the rest of this


	4. Day 4: Developments

The morning starts with bleary-eyed Dave and Karkat sitting red-faced across from Rose and Kanaya, who look smug as could be. 

“Rose jesus christ can you tell your eyebrows to calm down,” Dave mutters and sips coffee, but he can’t seem to stop the giant smile on his face that resumes any second he’s not thinking about it. 

Karkat is slightly more reserved but his face probably looks a bit more self-satisfied than anything. He can’t help but flashback to all those little moments last night, especially the moment this morning when he woke up wrapped up in Dave, suddenly thankful for the existence and foresight of a one Rose Lalonde. 

Rose just posits her chin on her on palm and smirks. “You both just look like you had a late night, I can’t help but be curious as to why that was.” 

“Okay, can we just take a moment to be curious about how much that is not your business at all?” Karkat snaps in response when Kanaya finally winks him directly. 

Rose only smirks harder. The conversation moves on, but finally she turns to her girlfriend. “Kanaya, I propose a toast.” She lifts her coffee mug in the air. Kanaya follows suit. 

“Oh god no,” Dave shuffles in his seat, uncrossing and re-crossing his arms. 

“To our last day of class,” Rose says, and Dave eyes her suspiciously. “I’m sure that’s something you boys can toast to, no?” 

Grumbling, Karkat and Dave grab their coffee mugs and lift them up in the air. 

“As I was saying, to our last day of class,” she leans the mug close to where the other’s are hovering. “And to the new burgeoning relationship.” She quickly clinks their glasses and leans back. Dave and Karkat roll their eyes but Dave just can’t help himself, he quickly clinks his glass against Karkat’s, sending him even redder. 

They hadn’t really talked about it, they kind of fell asleep on each other mid-makeout. Karkat isn’t sure who fell asleep first, it just kind of happened. Not that he’s complaining, it just made for a slightly awkward morning. More than slightly. Waking up wrapped around Dave, looking up to that embarrassed but pleased smile and the, “Did hitting the Strider too hard wear you out sweetcheeks?” that caused Karkat to shove a pillow in his face and stalk to the bathroom to get ready. 

So no. No talking about the ‘r’ word happened. 

Dave gets more brazen with his apparently ‘romantic’ overtures, which included that day but was not limited to spanking his ass as he got on the boat later that day, earning an extremely blushed glare from Karkat and slightly appalled looks from the other passengers. 

When they take off on the boat for the offshore dive sites where they aim to finally earn their certification, Karkat finds Dave sitting up on the front deck of the boat, leaning shirtless against the wall blocking wind from the cabin within. 

“Hey hotstuff, why don’t you sit those warm buns down here,” Dave asks him. Karkat can’t say no to that smile, he just looks so excited even if his words make him roll his eyes.  
Dave doesn’t waste time. He dives into Karkat, reaching his arm around to pull Karkat to him and kissing him. 

Karkat kisses him back until Dave slips his lips down to start making gentle bites down his neck, ending in a not so gentle suck of his ear. Karkat jumps and pushes him away. They’re out of the view of anyone else on the boat, but they could come up any second.

“Dave, come on, there’s other people here.”

“So?” Dave grins and leans in to kiss him again. 

Karkat doesn’t protest then, but he does protest when Dave slides his hand over his shorts to his crotch, causing him to jump. “Dave!” 

“Listen dude, I’m just gonna be upfront with you, I’m not gonna be able to keep my hands off you the rest of this trip. It’s just gonna happen. Might as well accept it now.” He kisses the corner of Karkat’s mouth and slips a hand under his shirt. “Mm, so glad you don’t have to cover this up in the water later.”

Karkat is flushing head to toe now, and stays that way as he continues to kiss Dave, who is working a hand up and down his leg. He can feel himself beginning to get aroused when one of the dive staff members clambors up from the cabin door to throw the anchor overboard.

Karkat and Dave jerk away from each other, but Karkat doesn’t miss the way that he winks at him over his shades after. 

When they’re in the water after, Karkat notices how Dave keeps trying to draw Karkat back to behind the group, away from watchful eyes. Karkat shakes his head and motions to the rest of the group in front of them. Dave smiles and shakes his head ever so slightly, drawing Karkat up to vertical in the water, running a hand under the vest and… 

Eridan clangs something against his tank up in the distance, either noticing their absence or trying to get their attention. Karkat, somewhat sadly, pulls away from Dave in order to kick back to the group. 

In between the dives Karkat corners Dave. 

“Dude, what the hell was that?” 

“I told you Karkat. These hands are almost working of their own accord here.”

“Can’t it wait until later?” He mournfully lets his sensibilities take charge here. 

Dave grabs Karkat by the hips and pulls him close. “Barely.” 

Karkat crosses his arms and Dave deflates a little. “Alright, fine. Later.” He releases him and holds his hands up in an ‘I’m innocent’ gesture. “But I’m holding you to that, I got a few years fantasies stored up here that I need to get out before we leave this island.” And with that he sneaks another kiss and leaves Karkat choking as he heads back into the cabin. 

Karkat tries to process what Dave said. He suddenly has more questions. Dave had mentioned it last night, but years? How many years? More importantly, what fantasies? 

It’s not until they’re in the room after the victory lunch of earning of their certs that Karkat gets to ask him. 

Dave leaps onto the bed, caging Karkat where he’s laying. “Damn Karkat, where do I even begin? Just uh, I may or may not have sent off Rose and Kanaya to have their own couple alone time, so if we don’t get our ass to a beach sometime soon I’m not going to be able to get out of this bed.”

He starts to make his point by kissing down Karkat’s face and neck to his chest. Karkat’s breath seizes. “So-oh. So the beach?” 

Dave hums a confirming noise and kisses over his pants between his legs, cementing his intentions. He looks up at Karkat. “Can I have you? Please?” 

The look on his face and his question sends immediate radiating heat through Karkat to his stomach. He inhales. “Yeah… of course. You… You always could.” He’s saying it aloud. He’s had his fair share of fantasies starring Dave but always excused it as that-- fantasies that he would proceed to feel mortified for having. But now he doesn’t have to feel ashamed about that anymore. 

Dave’s smile is blinding. “C’mon, they called a cab and left the rental car to us let’s go.” 

It’s not until he’s keening with a hand shoved in his mouth on a deserted stretch of beachside with Dave going down on him somewhat forcefully that he starts to wonder what he’s gotten himself into. 

“Someone could come,” he tried to protest when Dave has loosened his shorts. 

“You said I could.”

“In the room not the beach you damn exhibitionist.” 

But it had been too late, because Dave absolutely had his mouth around Karkat’s dick already. He unleashed a throaty groan in response. It was good. Very good. So good that he didn’t last long and it was definitely not the cooling humid evening that had him sweating on their lazily thrown towel over the sand. 

Dave pulls him into the water with him to clean off. “So I thought you weren’t an exhibitionist,” he teases. 

“You didn’t give me much choice. Also, this is unsanitary.” Dave had not swallowed, leaving Karkat with dirtied shorts. At least they had planned to get in the water so he’d worn something he could swim in. 

Dave pulled him close as they stood waist height in the bathtub temperature ocean. Karkat could feel the post orgasmic haze setting in and looking up at Dave with his cocky smile was not helping the flip flop of his heart. 

“I’m sure the fishes don’t mind. They do it in the ocean too you know. We could always join them.”

Karkat sputtered. “Unless we plan to use water as lube that is absolutely not going to be a thing.”

The blonde doesn’t falter, in fact is smile grows toothier. 

Understanding dawns on Karkat as he gazes up at him.. “Did you— oh god. You brought some didn’t you? Did you…. did you plan for this?” He questioned with a disbelieving tone. Dave laughed and Karkat pushed him. He stumbled back into the water but didn’t stop laughing.

“You cocky bastard!!” He very maturely swept a hand through the water to send a splash at Dave, who threw his hands up to block it but it didn’t stop him.

“Hahaha, okay, okay, Karkat, babe, I was going to tell you on this trip no matter what! That I was into you! I promise okay?”

Karkat didn’t stop. “You presumptuous prick!”

“Nice alliteration,” Dave commented and it only made him so mad Karkat was at a loss for words. He stood there fuming. 

“You! You are the worst! I don’t even know what we are and you being fucking lube for sex! What are you? Fifteen?”

“No, just in love with you.”

The steam goes out of him. “Wow. Fuck. That was really smooth.” He scowls and punches Dave in the arm lightly. “We haven’t even been on a real date,” he mutters. 

Dave folds arms around his shoulders. “I am super down to change that.” 

They go back to their lodging and end up eating so-so burgers at the restaurant. Karkat recognizes the look on Dave’s face when he catches the blonde watching him. It’s a smirk of some kind, but now instead of thinking he’s got the visage of an asshole, he just sees affection.


End file.
